Jason Spezza is healthy, motivated and already excited at the prospect of playing with winger Bobby Ryan.

The Ottawa Senators center, an 80-point scorer in 2012-13 who missed most of last season with a back injury, told the Ottawa Citizen that Ryan is "a big addition." And he's right—Ryan, 26 and a four-time 30-plus goal-scorer, was added via trade on the first day of free agency. Skating him full-time with a playmaker like Spezza will be interesting.

"Our games could be a good fit together," Spezza said. "There are some things I’ve been through as a player I think I could share and help him become as good a player as he can be."

Ryan spent a lot of time in Anaheim on a line with Ryan Getzlaf, so he's got experience with elite talent.

"My role might change a little, but I don't think my job is going to change a whole lot," Ryan told NHL.com last month . "I've been fortunate to play with a playmaking center for a long time, and that seems to be what they have in mind for me again in Ottawa. My role on the ice is to be that goal-scoring winger for the center who is making plays."

At this point, it's impossible to talk about Ryan without mentioning Daniel Alfredsson, who shockingly left Ottawa earlier that day for the Detroit Red Wings. Alfredsson, a civic icon and the team's captain since 1999, thinks the Red Wings have a better shot at the Stanley Cup. Ottawa, with Spezza and Erik Karlsson far from full strength, lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs, so Alfredsson's stance is, if nothing else, debatable.

Still, Spezza says there are no hard feelings, and that Alfredsson called him the night before to give him a heads up.

"As a player I understand his want to win a Stanley Cup. And he felt that moving elsewhere gave him an opportunity," Spezza said. "I can't say I completely agree, but I support him a hundred percent, he's just looking to do what's best for him. He's probably looking for a new chapter in his career."